


Fallout: Rocky Slopes

by Asdrator



Category: Fallout (Video Games)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 10:16:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16931394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asdrator/pseuds/Asdrator
Summary: Set four years afyer the events of New Vegas, in 2285. Three factions struggle for control of the Rocky Mountains: New Nazareth, founded by refugees from New Canaan, is situated in eastern Idaho, Wyoming west of the Absaroka Range, and much of southwestern Montana, and is dedicated to uniting the northwest under their Mormon faith; the Blackfoot Confederacy, controlling northwestern Montana and most of southern Alberta, is descended from the Native people of the same name, and their aim is to unite the wasteland under the traditions of its original Native owners, and have allied with the descendants of several other tribes for this purpose; and finally, the Great Khans, looking for a new home after the events of New Vegas, found the plains easy pickings, taking control of nearly all of Wyoming east of the Absaroka Range, as well as all of southeast Montana, ruled by Papa Khan from Billings, with heavy tribute collected from passing caravans by Great Khan raiders on mutated horseback. For each faction, a hero arises through a combination of skill and circumstance; which will lead their faction to victory? Or will a greater power rise to threaten them all?





	Fallout: Rocky Slopes

The church bell rang in Bethlehem. Eden Gardner looked up from the fields of his family farm, uphill from the church, having just finished clearing the soul with a hoe. He rested the hoe against the wall of the farmhouse and took off his gloves, placing them in his pocket, before washing his hands. He then walked downhill to the ward for church service. The Mormons had arrived to proselytize in the eastern Idaho only 4 years back, fleeing the destruction of New Canaan; there were initially about 30 of them but they worked quickly. Eden’s village was the first they arrived at, and to convince his people to convert, they reintroduced old farming techniques that greatly increased crop yields, and gave them more guns and ammo than they could dream of to put them on equal footing with the raiders. Eden was then 16, and could not have then have imagined how much the missionaries would change. The villages were quick to convert to receive these boons and, united by the leadership of the Mormons, drove out most raiders, chasing them north across the Rockies until they occupied a good deal of southwestern Montana. 

The New Canaanite Mormons and their followers formed a new country uniting the villages, promptly named New Nazareth, centered in Idaho Falls, also renamed New Nazareth. It was ruled on an interim basis by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the twelve most senior clergy of the church, as the chosen President and his counselors had not yet arrived, as they had been distracted the past four years with keeping the peace in Zion Valley. Eden reached the bottom of the hill leading up to the farm, and was in the Bethlehem village market. Eden was 19, white skinned with an athletic body, dirty blond hair, and soft grey eyes. He wore overalls and boots, and had dirt all over his arms as a result of a long day of work. This made him stand out in the procession in the market making their way to the ward. Most people in the crowd wore long, dour dresses if they were women, or patched-up business suits if they were men. Even in a world stricken by bombs and radiation, some people would still give anything to look proper. It was a matter of pride for the citizens of Bethlehem in particular to fix up scavenged formal pre-war clothing in an attempt to outdo whichever family now held the title of ‘best dressed.’ The local Bishop and his men tried to suppress this as sin and vanity, bless them, but by this point it was part of the village culture, so the clergy quickly learned to turn a blind eye. 

Eden noticed his big sister, Madelyn Gardner, waiting for him. Madelyn was 21, a short, quiet, and polite girl with blond hair and brown eyes and a long black dress. Eden waved and ran towards her, and she smiled and waved back.  
“Heya, Maddy.”  
“It’s good to see you, Eden. I asked Eliza to save us a couple of seats, and it’s almost time for prayer, so let’s go find her.” Eliza Garcia was their childhood friend, an outspoken, adventurous, and daring woman of 19, who seemed to only hated boredom more than following the rules. She smoked and drank whenever she wanted, and could cuss and shoot like any man. Many of the men in town called her a blasphemer and a heretic and told her she was going to hell, while other men pursued her hand in marriage, with a few even being single. Even some of the women courted her, despite the vocal disapproval of the church. 

Eliza had shoulder length black hair and dark brown eyes, and was of a Mexican family that’d been in the area since before the war. She wore a long, loose green shirt, as well as a light blue skirt over knee-length brown pants. Madelyn and Eden walked through the small crowd, who were taking their seats with a low murmur of conversation in the crowd. They found Eliza on the second bench from the pulpit. “Eliza, we’re here. I hope you weren’t waiting long.” Madelyn said politely. Eliza was caught by surprise. “Ah, didn’t see you there. C’mon, the show’s about to start.” Eliza moved her arm off the bench where it had reserving Madelyn and Eden’s seats, and they hurried to sit in the cleared space. Moments after they sat, the Bishop, a middle aged man in a nice-looking suit who had clearly lived a life of worry, called for silence so they could begin to pray. “Brothers and sisters of the church, let us pray that the word of our savior Jesus Christ reaches the ears of those who need it, all over the world, amen.”  
“Amen.”  
————————————————————  
After the other prayers and hymns were concluded, and the partaking of the emblems of the sacrament, the Bishop steps up to the podium once more. “I am very proud to announce that the President of the whole of the church is with us today and will be speaking. Please welcome President Graham!” There was a loud murmur through the congregation as a man covered head to toe in bandages, save only his eyes, stepped up to the podium. He wore tattered jeans, a white collared shirt, and a pre-war police vest. He spoke in a rough, gravelly voice. “I am Joshua Graham, also known as the Burned Man, and I have the honor of being the President of this church. I have come here to tell you all that I am a sinner. In a foolish attempt to force a harsh desert to become orderly at any cost, I served under a vile man and committed countless atrocities.”

“When the man I served turned on me, set me on fire, and threw me down a canyon, I experienced a revelation: I had not been serving the Lord, I had been abandoning Him. After miraculously recovering, I decided to atone by aiding the innocent people of the Zion Valley, finally putting my efforts towards fighting against a massacre, instead of causing them. With the help of a few friends, I was successful. I stand before you today to remind you that atonement is important, no matter how heavy your sin; so long as you truely place your faith in the lord Jesus Christ, through him you will eventually achieve redemption, and our lord God will judge you favorably when the end comes.” The congregation cheered, despite efforts by the Bishop and his men to quiet them. Joshua Graham stepped away from the church and headed to the back room of the church. Eden cheered despite himself; President Graham seemed larger-than-life, a man unafraid of anything and genuine in his words. Eden hoped that one day he could speak to Graham personally and learn more about him.

Eden would get his wish, just not in any way he would’ve thought.  
————————————————————  
After another prayer, the congregation dispersed, to either go back to their lives or attend Sunday School. “Are you going to Sunday School today, Eden?” Madelyn asked. Madelyn was a volunteer at the Sunday School, and asked him this every Sunday. Eden shook his head. “Nah, I’ve got to get back to work on the farm. Sorry, Maddy.” If Madelyn was disappointed, she did not show it. 

However, as Eden turned towards the exit, he bumped into the Bishop. “Apologies, young Eden.” The Bishop said hurriedly. “I was coming to request your attendance in the back room of the church.” Eden blinked. “Did I do something wrong now, Bishop?” The Bishop shook his head, smiling apologetically. “No, quite the opposite in fact. We require your assistance.” He took a confused Eden by the hand and led him towards the back room. Madelyn watched them go before heading towards the stairs leading up to the Sunday School room. Eliza for her part, got up after the Bishop and Eden had gone through the door to the back room, and, upon finding the door locked, pressed her ear against it.  
————————————————————  
The room Eden was led into by the Bishop was dimly lit and spartan, with only two chairs and a small table between them. There were two full Nuka Cola bottles on the table, one on each side, along with a small bag tied shut. In the chair on the opposite side of the room from Eden sat Joshua Graham, President of the Church, and behind him stood a bearded man in a plaid shirt and a wide brimmed hat, and a energetic-looking young man in a tribal outfit. “Good day, fellow faithful of God. It’s Eden isn’t it? Please, take a seat.” Joshua Graham said. Eden nodded slowly and sat in the seat opposite Graham. “Eden, you’re here because I need your help. I’m told you’ve been up to Fort Ellis before. Is that true?” Eden nodded again. “I’ve been there to trade surplus crops with the militia.”

“Excellent. I’m looking to hire you in service to our Lord to guide me and my companions first to New Nazareth, then to Fort Ellis. In that bag is 200 caps, which I’m sure you’ll find to be more than reasonable compensation. What do you say?” Eden was agape; he had just met Joshua Graham and already he was being hired to guide him across the rockies. “Why me?” He asked.  
“For one, because the Bishop says you’re more traveled than anyone else in this town. For another, because you know how to fight for yourself. That makes you worth hiring in my book.”  
Eden’s parents had died when he was 12, and he had been taken in by his paternal grandparents, Grandfather Badger and Grandmother Suze. His grandfather had been born in a land called California and had been involved with quite a few exciting events there, including being in something Grandfather Badger had called a ‘metal band’ called There We Smolder. He had moved to the Idaho wasteland to escape the taxes of a government known as the NCR, founding what would become the village of Bethlehem with several old friends, and they were later joined by many other NCR vagrants, frontiersmen, and tax evaders. 

Grandfather Badger had raised Eden to be self-sufficient, taking him on far-reaching travels of Idaho and the Rockies, and teaching him how to use weapons to one day succeed Badger as protector of the village. However, when the Mormons arrived, Eden’s grandparents had been the only ones to refuse to convert, preferring the independent, tribal ways they’d come to Idaho for. Despite this, relations between them and the rest of the village remained cordial due to their prestige and founding of the village. However, Grandfather Badger had died only a year after the arrival of the Mormons at age 70, and three years later Grandmother Suze was herself bedridden and nearly blind, and the best efforts of Mormon medicine seemed unable to save her.

“So who’s going to take care of the farm while I’m away?” Eden asked. Joshua Graham nodded towards the Bishop. “Bishop, you make sure your men take care of his farm while he’s away. We wouldn’t want his family to go hungry for serving the will of the Lord, now would we?” The Bishop acknowledged this and went to walk out of the room to let his deacons and assistants know. “So, how about it, Eden? Will you guide us to Fort Ellis?” Graham asked. Before Eden could answer, there was a loud “OW” from the direction of the door. Everyone in the room looked at the door, to see Eliza had been knocked to the floor. She groaned and sat up slowly. “Ah, hell. This is awkward.” 

The Bishop looked absolutely livid. “You already break the good Lord’s rules any chance you get, and now you spy on his most devoted?! GET OUT! Get out before I-“ Joshua Graham hurried towards the door. “Just a moment, Bishop. What’s your name, young lady?” Eliza looked ready to bolt, but she didn’t. “I’m Eliza. Eliza Garcia.” Graham seemed to size her up, and after a few moments offered her his hand to help her up. “You any good with guns, Eliza?” Eliza nodded with a grin. “Better than anyone I know. Why? You need somebody dead?” Graham shook his head. “Not unless somebody wants us dead. If you’ll help protect me and my companions on our way to Fort Ellis, your transgression will be forgiven and you will receive pay upon the completion of the journey.” 

Eliza took his hand firmly and stood up. “You had me at Fort Ellis. I’ve always wanted to have a reason to leave this nowhere town, and this is at least as good a reason as any.” Graham let go of her hand and walked past her. “Then it’s settled. From now until Fort Ellis, you and Eden over there work for me. The bearded man is named Daniel, and the tribal is named Follows-Chalk. They’re my counselors, so you should get used to working with them.” Graham initially led the group towards the door, waving farewell to the Bishop, but Eden suddenly stopped. “Sorry, but I have to let my sister know I’m leaving.” Graham nodded slowly. “We’ll be on the outskirts of town, in a covered wagon pulled by a Brahmin. Don’t take too long.” Eden quickly apologized again, then headed over to and up the stairs to the Sunday School room.  
————————————————————  
In the room, Madelyn was leading a group of children in reading from the Book of Mormon. She paused mid sentence when she saw Eden standing in the doorway. “Oh! Have you come to join us, Eden?” Eden shook his head. “I have something very important to tell you, Maddy. In private.” Madelyn sighed and closed her copy of the Book of Mormon, before walking just outside the door. “This had better be as important as you say it is, Eden.” Eden smiled apologetically. “It is, it is. President Graham just hired me to guide his group up to Fort Ellis. Past the Rockies.” Madelyn almost did a double take. “He WHAT? Eden, that’s a long way to travel, and there’s sure to be danger every step of the way. Are you sure about this?” 

Eden nodded seriously and solemnly. “I’m more sure about this than I’ve ever been about anything. I miss when me and Grandfather Badger used to travel, and Graham’s paying me a good reward, too. Besides, everyone in the group’s good with weapons, and even I can handle myself in a fight. So don’t worry about me, okay, Maddy?” Madelyn opened her mouth to object, but closed it. Eden’s mind was set on adventure. She gave him a big hug. “Don’t get into any trouble you can avoid, little brother. If you don’t stay as safe as you can I’ll beat you up, you know.” Eden hugged her back fully. “I know. I’ll be safe because I’m more scared of you than anything I might find out there. And... take care of Grandma for me, yeah?” Madelyn released him from the hug. “Always. See you soon, Eden.”  
————————————————————  
Eden arrived at the wagon to find Eliza on the back of it, tapping her foot impatiently and looking bored. “Took ya long enough. The boss told me to give you this armor.” She tossed down worn leather body armor to Eden. Eden fit it over his clothes with some difficulty. When it was finally fitted over his chest, he climbed up onto the wagon, sitting next to Eliza. 

“You ready for the adventure of a lifetime, Eliza?” Eliza only grinned mischievously. “Are you?” Eden shook his head and sighed in exaggerated despair. “Never.” They broke out into sustained laughter, and the wagon beneath them began moving. Graham’s voice called from the front, “Get comfortable. This is going to be a long trip.”

**Author's Note:**

> Just for reference, Badger and Suze are the characters from Fallout 2, because I love the first two games. The next chapter will focus on the Blackfoot Confederacy, and the one after that on the Great Khans, serving as an introduction of each of the factions and their heroes.


End file.
